Eavesdropper
by Phantasmarose
Summary: Erik eavesdrops from behind Christine’s dressing room mirror. One shot. EC. Leroux, Kay and ALW based. Please Read and Review.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the POTO characters. These belong to Leroux, ALW and Kay

Summary: Erik eavesdrops from behind Christine's dressing room mirror. One shot. E/C. Leroux/Kay and ALW based. Please Read and Review.

**EAVESDROPPER**

Erik looked impeccable as always. He was in black evening dress with a maroon waistcoat and matching cravat. He made his way to the dressing room mirror. He was a little early but he wanted to see his angel. From his vantage point, he saw Christine sitting cross-legged on the divan with Meg sitting across from her. Her sweet voice drifted to him. Erik thought he should not be listening in but he decided to stay. _It is just for a minute_. He took the time to readjust his mask and smiled in anticipation.

"That man ugh! He is so disgusting. I can't stand to look at him"

Erik's breath caught. _His sweet angel found him disgusting and she was telling other people_. Memories of Christine on the rooftop with the boy still stung his heart. The shock of the new betrayal hit him squarely in his chest.

"Oh Christine you exaggerate!"

"No, I don't! Do you know that the other day he dared to touch me?"

His chest tightened. Erik found that he couldn't catch his breath at all. He fell back against the damp passageway wall_. All those visits she had made to his home. She had seemed so happy there singing for him. He hadn't forced her to go. Never, not once had he forced her to go with him. It would have killed him but Christine could have said no. More than once she had even insisted on him removing his mask and seeing his…_He put a trembling hand to his marred cheek. _They had agreed on no secrets between them. Although she had seen it once, he had had to deny her that. Despite his caution, she still thought of him as no more than a disgusting creature to be gossiped about. _

Meg gasped and giggled behind her hand.

"It is not funny Meg. That repulsive man touched me!"

Erik's entire body trembled and all breath left his chest. His legs buckled under him and he felt himself sinking along the wall down to the floor. _He had never touched her without his gloves on, he could swear to it. He would not presume to do that. "Christine! Christine!" _A gurgled plea for mercy slipped from his lips.

"Christine, you tell the best stories". Meg laughed and bounced out of her seat.

As he gasped for air, uncontrolled tears flowed down his cheeks and gathered at there. He had to remove his mask. If he had had his dagger with him, he would have seared the flesh from the offending side of his face. Who would know the difference? Erik was devastated. All was lost; there was no reason to live now.

"Oh but it is true Meg." Christine insisted, "That Joseph Buquet is just horrible when he is drunk"

Erik struggled to sit up. _What had Christine just said?_

"He is ughhhh! You make it sound so funny".

_She was not talking about him at all. Christine was referring to Joseph Buquet! Joy, oh joy!_

Both girls giggled and Meg left for her own dressing room.

Christine sighed and softly she began to sing _Angel of Music _looking toward the mirror.

Her voice soothed and calmed him. He wiped his face and returned the mask to his face.

Her eyes closed and through semi parted lips she said, "Oh angel, I love you"

Gagging, Erik stood up, his heart starting to race again this time in bliss.

"Angel?" She called out at the noise behind the mirror.

Everything was perfectly quiet. In a few minutes, she would see her beautiful angel. He would take her down to his home and share his heavenly music with her. Maybe she could convince him to remove his mask while he played and she sang for her. No mask, no secrets between them. Her heartbeat increased as she thought of sitting on the piano bench with him his irregular face moving in toward hers for a kiss. Christine blushed. She sighed again, and reclined on the divan as she waited for her heavenly messenger to claim her.

It took Erik a few minutes to compose himself, his heart still beat faster than it should but he could stand on his own. His breath also was coming back in a rhythmic pattern. He brushed off his clothes and slicked back his hair.

_Christine loved him? _

Erik thought of the days before Christine appeared in his life, when his life was so simple. Everyday was the same and there were few emotional vicissitudes. He thought of the days when he wasn't wanted and wasn't loved the easy days when he had nothing to lose. Of the days before he was fully alive. Of course, he would have to have a little talk with Joseph Buquet, but that task fell to another day. Erik opened the latch in the mirror and stepped into life.


End file.
